Just venting...

[Eric1971]

When I got the Mystery Machine in April 2018 the parking brakes did not work at all. That was a big problem since it's parked at the top of my steep driveway. For the first few weeks I put blocks behind the rear wheels to be safe, then finally took it into a local, supposedly trustworthy shop for diagnosis. They said "oh, you need new brakes all around". Hmm, ok, well I hadn't put any money into it yet so if this is all it needs... of course, that was followed a week later by the starter and a few weeks after that by the fuel pump. Had I known, I would have done the brakes myself since I can do those, but don't want to mess with fuel pump/tank.

Fast forward 4 years and lots of knowledge gained from this forum. I just replaced the upper control arms and all the pads myself (rears getting thin) and checked the parking shoes while I'm in there. No F'ing way those were replaced 4 years ago. They were cracked, rusty as hell, and one of them had a big section of pad completely missing. They look like they are probably the originals. So I paid for "brakes all around" and basically got new pads and a professional to turn the parking brake adjuster?

Anyway, just now replaced the shoes. I won't say the parking brake is working any better or differently than before, but I sure feel better.

 

[Mbrooks420]

They probably didn’t even pull the rotor.

 

[Eric1971]

They probably didn’t even pull the rotor.

Exactly, and for what they charged me, they should have replaced the rotors!

 

[Mbrooks420]

How much? This is why you do all the repairs that you can, yourself. I do everything on my vehicles, except auto transmissions myself, for this exact reason.

 

[Eric1971]

I can't find the receipt in my maintenance folder but I think somewhere around $500. At the time I just "need it done", being busy with work and family.

Now I definitely do everything I can myself. The only things I take it in for now are the ones that require specialized equipment (AC, alignment) or jobs I just don't want to take on (fuel pump).

 

[J_C]

The way I figure it, by the time I schedule an appointment, clear that day/time to take it in, get a ride home, be available for pickup, be driven there (need a 2nd person/vehicle involved), and pick it up, it would have taken less time to just DIY, besides the cost savings and not having to wonder if they half-arsed the job or tried to up-sell things not needed.

IMO you need a new shop, one that would have checked the parking brake and at least contacted you if it wasn't included in their "new brakes all around" service, AND that includes an itemized list of parts on the bill, part #s listed in a coherent way that you can look up, so you can see what was replaced and what wasn't.

Parking brake adjuster probably turns itself, though if it has seized from rust and/or dried out lube, might need freed up and derusted and lubed, or replaced.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

some shops iirc categorize parking and normal brakes separately so i heard so maybe thats the case there. that said 500 for a brake job is $$$

 

[DemonMudder]

Not sure about 'em classifying 'em, all I know is that's too much for a brake job! Especially after seeing and knowing all that now. Definitely would see about a new shop of choice. Yeah, this is why I do everything myself, unless it comes to something like major engine work (involving taking it out or half the dadgum thing apart) or transmission work, those I call it a day on and tell the shop to have fun, but I still bring 'em all my own parts and make sure they know everything, so I trust things a bit better.

 

[Eric1971]

Rest assured, I haven't been back to that shop in 4 years. Sheer luck since I didn't discover this until now!

 

[94Eddie]

Most shops don't even mention the parking brakes in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th gen Explorers/Mountaineers when estimating a brake job. Probably because to check them requires the rotor to be removed which isn't done to just give an estimate. My guess is the customer has to bring them up if they want them replaced or checked. As the old saying goes "out of sight, out of mind." I will say that I HATE the design of the parking brakes in these vehicles. They are a royal PITA to replace but then I always have hated working on drum brakes period.

 

[DemonMudder]

Rest assured, I haven't been back to that shop in 4 years. Sheer luck since I didn't discover this until now!

Good, wouldn't plan on going back. I got one shop my mom used to use, first time I went up there, want to say for a fuel filter, literally couldn't get mine off to save my life without almost breaking lines. They tried to haggle and tell me other stuff was wrong which I know for a fact wasn't, and told 'em right out. Probably assumed since it was a young kid and his mom, probably didn't know what we were dealing with, only went back once after that(didn't have a choice, had to have a spark plug retapped and didnt have a closer shop), got a new shop I use that seems good, they did seem iffy once, but they seem okay.

 

[donalds]

I can't afford a real shop so I just take my truck to the tent in my front yd and work on it there
Run like a dog from that shop

 

[Mr. Alligator]

I can't afford a real shop so I just take my truck to the tent in my front yd and work on it there
Run like a dog from that shop

Donald, I am so confident that the “tent in your front yard” is far more honest, hardworking, and effective than most all other shops.

 

[donalds]

Donald, I am so confident that the “tent in your front yard” is far more honest, hardworking, and effective than most all other shops.

Every time I need to do an actual repair to the explorer not modifying it
it rains
so I bought a tent Best 200 bucks I spend in a while
That's how I know it will be fixed if it rains it's getting fixed that day

 

[429CJ-3X2]

A tent would be nice. I had to use some plywood to block the wind back in Feb/Mar while working on my son's Mountaineer.

 

[DemonMudder]

I just sit out in the rain if it starts while I'm in the middle of something or I have like a patio umbrella I bring out and attempt using as cover. A tent would be so nice lol

 

[allmyEXes]

@Eric1971 So the shop just changed your pads all the way around and didn't change the "mini" parking brake shoes?

 

[Josh P]

$500 for new pads except the ones you actually needed (that is an additional charge). That is getting screwed by a professional. Seems like the days of honest repair shops is history.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

$500 for new pads except the ones you actually needed (that is an additional charge). That is getting screwed by a professional. Seems like the days of honest repair shops is history.

^^^^^^^^^^one benefit of EVs i see for the average person is all you should need regularly are tires. since no one cleans them. but then no oil or trans fluid lol. but then on the other hand, theres a battery in them

 

[DemonMudder]

^^^^^^^^^^one benefit of EVs i see for the average person is all you should need regularly are tires. since no one cleans them. but then no oil or trans fluid lol. but then on the other hand, theres a battery in them

And those batteries cost a fortune